


Landing

by ReddieOrNot (cajungirlkye)



Series: Flight/Landing [2]
Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Post-Canon, Rated T for Trashmouth
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:28:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,588
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24778405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cajungirlkye/pseuds/ReddieOrNot
Summary: Seven months after IT is defeated for the final time, Richie Tozier receives a phone call that sets his life in a new direction.(Companion fic to Flight)
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Series: Flight/Landing [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792093
Comments: 2
Kudos: 52





	Landing

**Author's Note:**

> This is a companion piece to Flight, which is told from Eddie's PoV. It's not necessary to read that one to understand this one, but if you want Eddie's side of the story I recommend reading both!

_“Eddie!”_

Richie Tozier sat bolt upright in bed as he awoke from the nightmare, blinking back the tears that threatened to flood his already-blurry vision. _At least I didn’t fall out of bed this time_ , he thought.

He squinted over at the clock as lightning flashed outside of his window. _3:46 AM._ He sighed and lay back down. It had been seven months since he and his six closest friends had battled and defeated an inter-dimensional space demon for the second (and final) time, but yet Richie was still having nightmares about what he had seen in the deadlights. _Eddie stabbed with It's claw, thrown like a ragdoll across the cavern, bleeding out before Richie's eyes, dying alone while Richie and the others literally bullied It to death, Richie being dragged away from Eddie's body, leaving Eddie's body down in the cistern, alone--_

"It's not real, it's not real, it's not real," he muttered. He grabbed at his phone to text Eddie when suddenly it lit up with a new text message. He put his glasses on and unlocked it, sighing in relief when he saw that it was a message from Eddie.

**Eds: Hey, man, I know you’re sleeping right now but can you call me when you wake up?**

_I’m up,_ he replied.

His phone rang and he immediately accepted the call.

“Richie, what the fuck are you doing up right now?” Eddie said before Richie could even say 'hello'. “Isn’t it like, 5 AM there?”

“4, actually, but who’s counting,” Richie replied with faux nonchalance. 

He could almost _feel_ Eddie deflate over the phone. “Are you okay?”

"Yeah, dude, I’m fine,” Richie lied. “Never better.” 

He had been pretty much just going through the motions since he had come back to L.A. He had cancelled the last couple of dates of his tour, fired his writers, come out as gay -- first to the Losers, then publicly-- and was currently trying to figure out the next steps in his life and career.

In addition, he had only been getting a couple of hours of sleep a night since he had returned from Derry due to the nightmares. It felt like every time he closed his eyes he saw Eddie saving him from the deadlights, only to get stabbed through the torso by a massive claw and thrown around like a marionette then die in Richie’s arms before he could tell Eddie that he loved him. Luckily that wasn’t what had actually happened -- Richie had managed to roll them out of the way right before Pennywise’s claw had come down where they had just been.

Richie shuddered. He still hated puppets after the bullshit Pennywise had put him through in Neibolt as a kid, so maybe the marionette analogy wasn’t the best one to use. _Fuck that fucking clown_.

He mentally shook his head. “So what’s up? Just missed the sound of my voice?”

"You remember when you told me that if I ever needed anything that I could call you?” Eddie said. He sounded hesitant.

Richie sat up as he thought back to their goodbye at the townhouse seven months earlier. Everyone but he and Eddie had already gone, leaving the two of them to have a private goodbye at the Townhouse. 

_“So, you’re headed back to New York,” Richie had said._

_“Yeah, I, uh, I have some stuff to take care of,” Eddie had replied. “See ya, Rich.”_

_“Eddie, wait!” Richie had said, grabbing Eddie’s hand before he could turn away._

_Eddie had glanced down at their entwined hands then back up to Richie’s face. “Yeah?”_

_Richie had taken a tiny step forward and almost blurted out his confession, but then his thumb had grazed Eddie’s wedding ring. His heart clenched and he dropped Eddie’s hand. “Uh, I just wanted to say if you ever need anything, anything at all, let me know, ok man? I’m here for you no matter what, no questions asked.”_

_Eddie had given him a small smile. "Anything?"_

_"Anything."_ ** _Fuck, too sincere,_** _Richie had thought, so he turned it into a joke. "I'd even kill a man for you. Well, another one."_

_Eddie had huffed out a laugh. "Hopefully it never comes to that."_

Had Richie known that Bowers had attacked Eddie in his bathroom at the Townhouse before heading to the library to try to kill Mike, Richie wouldn't have just planted the axe in Bowers's head -- he'd have kept going until that sadistic motherfucker was in pieces. 

He cleared his throat. “Yeah, man, of course I remember that. What do you need? Just name it.”

He could hear Eddie huff out a breath. _What could he be so nervous about?_ “Um, actually, is it ok if… I mean if not it's fine but... can I come stay with you for a while?”

Richie didn't even have to think about it before he was answering. “Yes. Yeah, absolutely, dude. Of course you can come stay with me, for as long as you want.” 

“Thank you so much, Richie.” 

“When were you thinking about coming?” Richie asked. He figured Eddie would have to clear it with his wife first and request some time off of work so it'd be a few days before he arrived. Which was _fine_ , Richie was just happy to be able to see Eddie--

He could hear Eddie typing. “I, uh, I can be on the next flight out of JFK and be at LAX around 11:15, if that’s okay?” 

Richie blinked. _The next flight out?_ On the one hand, Richie was almost positive that something was going on with Eddie. On the other, Richie would be able to see Eddie in person for the first time since Derry that much sooner. “Yeah, man, that’s totally fine.” He hesitated for a moment before asking, “are you sure _you’re_ okay, Eds?”

“Yes, I’m fine," Eddie insisted. "I’ll explain everything when I get there, I promise, I just… I need to see you.”

 _I need to see you._ Richie swallowed a lump in his throat. “I know what you mean,” he finally said. “I’ll meet you at the airport, okay?”

“No, dude, you don’t have to do that,” Eddie protested. “I can just get an Uber. I don’t want to inconvenience you any more than I already will be.”

Richie shook his head even though he knew Eddie couldn’t see him. He wanted to tell Eddie that he was the most important thing in the universe to Richie, that Eddie had been the sun that Richie’s life had revolved around when they were kids and that if he had been given the choice back then Richie would have followed Eddie to the ends of the earth for the rest of his life. Instead he said sincerely, “I promise you, Eds, any moment spent with you is never an inconvenience.” 

“Thank you so much, Richie.” Eddie cleared his throat. “Now go the fuck to sleep. You’re going to mess up your circadian rhythm.”

 _God, I fucking love him._ “Ok, night, Eds. Or rather, good morning.”

Eddie chuckled warmly. “Good morning, Rich. See you soon.”

Richie hung up, reset his alarm, and set both his phone and glasses back on the nightstand. 

_Eddie will be here soon,_ he thought as he slipped back into a now-peaceful sleep. 

* * *

Seven hours later, Richie stood in the arrivals area at LAX, watching people come around the corner. _Maybe Eddie missed his flight,_ he thought nervously as the crowd thinned out. _Maybe he changed his mind, maybe I dreamed the whole thing, maybe--_

His heart soared as he spotted Eddie coming towards him.

The second their eyes locked a broad smile spread on Eddie’s face, and Richie knew that the look on his own face must have matched. “Hey, man,” Richie said as Eddie walked up to him then dumbly stuck his hand out to shake. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Eddie replied, then took Richie’s hand and pulled him into a tight hug, burying his face into Richie’s chest.

Richie made a noise that he would later absolutely deny was a whimper and wrapped his arms around Eddie.

They stood there for a minute, just soaking in each others’ presence. 

Finally Richie reluctantly let go. “Let’s go get your stuff.”

They walked in silence to the baggage claim area, each grabbing one of Eddie's bags, and headed out to Richie's car.

During the drive back to his house Richie occasionally glanced over at Eddie, who was smiling serenely out of the window. _He’s really here,_ Richie thought. Of course he was dying to know why Eddie was suddenly making a trip out to Los Angeles but he didn't want to push it. Eddie would tell him in his own time.

They pulled into Richie's driveway and parked.

"Well, we're here," Richie said.

Even though his career in stand-up had been lucrative, Richie had never really felt the desire to really flash his money around, so instead of buying one of those big-ass, multi-million dollar mansions in the heart of Hollywood, Richie had opted for a home in a private neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills, something that qualified as modest according to Hollywood standards.

Eddie turned and looked at him in surprise. "Wow, Rich, this is beautiful."

Richie shrugged, secretly pleased that Eddie seemed to approve. "Ehh, it's home."

He led Eddie inside. "So here's the grand tour." He pointed to the sofa. "Living room." Next he gestured toward the kitchen. "Kitchen and dining room, game room and bathroom." Next he pointed up the stairs. "My room, office, and the guest rooms. Take your pick of any of them."

Eddie bit his lip and looked like he wanted to say something, but then shook his head. "Thanks again, Richie." 

He picked up his suitcases. "I'll, uh, go get settled then we can talk?"

Richie nodded. He had figured Eddie would want to settle in and unpack before unloading whatever it was off of his chest. "Sounds good. Hey, you hungry? I'll order in some lunch. Any requests?"

Eddie nodded. "Uh, sushi?"

Richie nodded, then internally winced. "Ok." _Jeez, what's with all the nodding? Way to make things awkward, Tozier._

Eddie quickly gave him his order, then Richie watched him head up the stairs before calling it in.

While he waited for Eddie to come back down and for the food to arrive, he considered calling Beverly or Stan, but decided against it since he didn't want to tell any of the others that Eddie was in town in case Eddie hadn't mentioned it to anyone else. He glanced back up the stairs, then texted his agent and cancelled all of his meetings for the following two weeks. _I'm helping out a friend,_ he wrote. _I can still be reached via text or email but don't expect me to answer any calls. I'll let you know if something changes._

He had just locked his phone back when he heard Eddie coming down the stairs.

He looked up and his mouth went dry. _I'm so fucked._

Eddie had obviously taken advantage of Richie's guest shower, his hair wet and skin shiny. He had changed into a light blue sweater and jeans that hugged Eddie's front so perfectly that, if Richie hadn't had years of practice in pushing down his feelings, would've made Richie immediately drop to his knees and run his tongue against the front of them in worship. As it was it still took every ounce of Richie's willpower not to do it anyway. "Guh," he said eloquently.

"I, uh, I took a shower. Hope that's okay," Eddie said. "Wanted to wash the plane smell off me."

Richie nodded. "Of course." _Jesus Christ, stop with the fucking nodding!!!_

Eddie sat on the couch and turned to face Richie. "So I, uh…" he began, fiddling with the left sleeve of his sweater. 

Richie shook his head. "Hey, dude, don't feel like you have to tell me what's going on with you right now if you're not ready. As long as you're okay, that's the important thing." And it _was._ Richie would wait forever if need be.

"No, I do," Eddie said. "I am. I'm great, actually." He took a deep breath as if to steady himself. "I left Myra."

The confession hit Richie like a ton of bricks. _No wonder Eddie wanted to get out of New York so fast._ "Holy shit, dude." Then another realization struck him. "Wait, when, like _today_?"

Eddie shook his head. "Six months ago." 

Richie's eyes trailed down to Eddie's ring finger, which he had just realized was bare. Instead of the pale strip of skin he had expected to see, the spot where Eddie's wedding band used to be had tanned to match the rest of his skin. 

He glanced back up to Eddie's face. "Six months? You left your wife six months ago and you didn't tell me?" He couldn't help but be hurt by the news. When Richie had come out to the Losers, he had told them all at once via the group chat -- except he had first told Eddie privately.

Eddie looked nervous. "I wanted to, Rich, I swear, I just-- I wanted to wait until my divorce was final so I could tell you in person."

Richie's mind was reeling. _Eddie's already divorced?_

Eddie was still talking. "I love you, and it's okay if you don't feel the same--"

_Wait, did he just say he loves me?_

"--But I wanted to wait until I was divorced in case you _did_ so there wouldn't be anything standing in the way--"

_HE FUCKING LOVES ME??????_

"--And if I've made things weird it's fine, we can just forget this whole thing and I'll just go back to New Yo-- ohhhh."

Richie was so shocked that he couldn't even speak, so he gave Eddie his response the best way he knew how-- he leaned over and finally kissed the love of his life.

Eddie pressed closer to him and tangled his fingers into Richie's hair, making Richie shiver with desire. 

He wrapped a hand around the back of Eddie's neck, keeping him close as they broke the kiss. "Fuck, Eds," Richie whispered hoarsely, fighting back tears. "I've loved you for so long. You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say those words back to me."

"I love you. I love you. I love you," Eddie repeated, punctuating each statement with a kiss to Richie's lips. 

He reached down and took Eddie's left hand in his own. _How long has he been divorced?_ he wondered.

"My divorce was finalized yesterday afternoon," Eddie said as if he could read Richie's mind. "I couldn't wait any longer to see you, Rich. I had to see you."

Richie looked up from where he had been subconsciously rubbing his thumb over Eddie's bare finger and brought Eddie's hand up to his mouth in order to kiss the place where Eddie's wedding ring once had rested. He could imagine Eddie wearing a new, different wedding band, one that Richie himself had placed there. _One day._ "How long are you planning on staying in L.A.?" Richie asked, already dreading the day Eddie would have to go back to New York.

"As long as you'll have me," Eddie replied, holding Richie's gaze.

Richie felt like he could burst from happiness. His world was back in orbit. "Forever, then." 

When Eddie leaned in to kiss Richie again, it felt like an unspoken promise. _Forever._


End file.
